The Positive Role of Mother Tongue as Written Form in English Class

Using mother tongue in English classroom is controversial. Native speaking instructors seem to be for English-only classes whereas many Korean teachers of English feel it's effective to conduct classes in Korean especially for explaining usages and functions of certain grammar or new vocabulary. In fact, many studies have supported using mother tongue. However, excessive use of it hinders students from practicing the target language. Obviously it doesn't necessarily have to be all or nothing system. The study shows the positive role of mother tongue in written form based on the results of the students' academic performance at Chung-Ang University's summer program 2000. The results indicate that using mother tongue in written form helps beginning level students understand grammar and vocabulary more effectively, leads them to do better on tests than those of English-only class, and encourages them to actively get involved in class discussion and responses.